AUGUST FLY THEY MUST.

 August the last month of summer when birds begin their long journeys South,the last butterflies emerge and we look forward to Autumn and its unexpected bounty in the form of vagrant birds and insects.

August was generally fairly quiet on the bird front with just a trickle of the usual migrants and I have managed to avoid most of them.

The last butterfly to emerge locally is the Silver Spotted Skipper which I eventually found at Temple Ewell.Clouded Yellows have  had a reasonablr year and have been quite widespread.Chalkhill Blue numbers seemed to be down and the second generation of Adonis Blue have been poor.

RAVEN AT FOXHILL DOWN

MIGRANT HAWKER

CHALKHILL BLUE

CHALKHILL BLUE MALE

CHALKHILL BLUE FEMALE

CLOUDED YELLOW AT SAMPHIRE HOE

SILVER SPOTTED SKIPPER

SILVER SPOTTED SKIPPER

 

COMMON BLUE

WASP SPIDER AT SAMPHIRE HOE

A SOUTHERN HAWKER IN MY GARDEN

A BIRD IN THE HAND IS WORTH THREE IN A BUSH  - WHINCHAT WHEATEAR AND WHITETHROAT NEAR THE SAILING CLUB SANDWICH BAY

TRES HOMBRES OFF THE HOE-A SAILING VESSEL FROM VANUATU

TRES HOMBRES AND LITTLE CLOUND A YANKEE CATAMARAN.

WHINCHAT AT BOCKHILL

JUVENILE GREAT CRESTED GREBE AT DUNGENESS WATCHING THE PARENT BIRD FISHING.

ONE OF THE FEW ADONIS BLUES AT SAMPHIRE HOE{ FEMALE}

ADONIS BLUE {MALE }

THE CLOSEST YET TO GETTING A SHAG COMPLETELY OUT OF THE WATER.

ADULT MALE BLACK REDSTART ON THE ROCKS AT THE HOE.

RECORD SHOT OF THE SPOTTED CRAKE AT NEW DOWNS SANDWICH.

ADULT DOTTEREL AT ST MARGARETS

ONE OF TWO JUVENILE DOTTERELS 

ADULT DOTTEREL.

SOMETHING FOR THE MOTHERS ,THE SUMMERS MOTHS FROM MY SMALL TRAP.

STRIPED HAWKMOTH A NEW MOTH FOR MY GARDEN.

MOTH OF THE YEAR.

JERSEY TIGER

ELEPHANT HAWKMOTH

COPPER UNDERWING

BLACK ARCHES

MAPLE PROMINENT

LESSER SWALLOWTAIL PROMINENT

COPPER UNDERWING

CAMPION

CANARY SHOULDERED THORN.

September has started very wet and windy thus ending the summers drought  here in Kent.....

JULY FLYS BY

July is normally fairly quiet on the birding front waiting patiently for the autumn migration to begin,the first signs are usually seen at the end of the month with the first Wheatears and Willow Warblers turning up at Samphire Hoe and returning waders at the usual wadery hot spots.However July is a good month for Butterflies.

I went to Oare early in the month to see the Bonapartes Gull again for the thirteenth time evidently.

It was feeding reasonably close in east of the slipway,I think my best ever views.

 A single Cattle Egret was seen with the cows and the Water Rail was seen at Dans Dock.

CATTLE EGRET RIDING BARE BACK.

JUVENILE YELLOW WAGTAIL AT DANS DOCK

BROWN ARGUS NEAR UPLEES COPSE.

A few from the Hoe

EMPEROR DRAGONFLY

RED VEINED DARTER

BLACK TAILED SKIMMER

BT SKIMMER

EMPEROR DRAGONFLY OVIPOSTING

LUMINESCENT CLOUDS OVER THE CHANNEL

GOLDFINCH HAVING A DRINK

MY FIRST CHALKHILL BLUE OF THE YEAR AT TEMPLE EWELL

CHALKHILL BLUE U\S

LARGE WHITE

YELLOWHAMMER STILL SINGING AT LANGDON CLIFFS

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A DAY OUT IN ORLESTONE FOREST WITH PAUL HOLT.

PURPLE HAIRSTREAK

PURPLE HAIRSTREAK

PURPLE HAIRSTREAK

PURPLE HAIRSTREAK

WHITE ADMIRAL

WHITE ADMIRAL U\S

WHITE ADMIRAL

BRIMSTONE

BRIMSTONE

LARGE WHITE

As we were leaving the car park we saw Dave Brown, he said there had been a Purple Emperor coming to an Oak sap run near the gate, so we parked up and sure enough this arrived soon after.

PURPLE EMPEROR

NOT IN ITS PRIME BUT A FIRST FOR ME IN EAST KENT.

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GATEKEEPER.

SILVER WASHED FRITILLARY.

PAINTED LADY

WALL BROWN

HUMMING BIRD HAWKMOTH

GATEKEEPER(MALE)

WOOD SANDPIPERS DUNGENESS

COMMON TERN DUNGENESS

BROWN ARGUS DUNGENESS.

JUV WHITETHROAT SAMPHIRE HOE

COSCO VIRGO

COMMON HEATH MOTH

SMALL COPPER

BROWN ARGUS TEMPLE EWELL

COCK LINNET FEEDING ON VIPERS BUGLOSS 

GOLDFINCH SAMPHIRE HOE

GOLDFINCH SAM HOE

GATEKEEPER (FEMALE) 

RED ADMIRAL

SMALL HEATH  SECOND GENERATION NOW ON THE WING

SMALL HEATH TEMPLE EWELL.

TTFN.